Blakeney Bridge Wine Ltd: why I wouldn't buy wine from this company

Château Pontet Canet

I have been contacted by AT whose elderly parent has been pressurised by Blakeney Bridge Wine Ltd's telesales into investing in over-priced wine. 

On 19th September 2013 they were persuaded to buy: 

one case (12 bottles) of 2010 Les Forts de Latour for £2,200. The excellent wine-searcher site shows that a case of Les Forts de Latour could have been bought from Magnum Fine Wines on 15th November 2013 for £1675. A saving of £545 on the case.  A case of 2010 Les Forts de latour can now be bought for £1575. 

Then on 17th October 2013 there was a further purchase:  

a case (12 bottles) of 1990 Haut Brion for £6,630. Wine-searcher shows that this wine could have been bought for £4840 on 14.11.2013. It is currently being offered by Berry Bros & Rudd for £4920.
 
En primeur 2012
They were also persuaded to buy 2012 Bordeaux en primeur, which few would consider to be an investment vintage. The purchase was on 17.10.2013. Again they were substantially overcharged by Blakeney Bridge Wine Ltd: 

a case (12 bottles) 2012 Haut Bailly for £635 and due for delivery in 2015. wine-searcher shows that this could have been bought for £455 on 15.11.13

a case (12 bottles) of 2012 Pontet Canet for £935 due for delivery in 2015. wine-searcher shows that this could have been bought for £650 on 15.11.13.

Not only have they been over-charged but the 2010 les Forts de Latour and the 1990 Haut-Brion have not arrived in their account even though they were bought on 19th September 2013 and 17th October 2013 respectively. 

 'The Buying Process'

'5. The wines are transferred to your account with 45 working days with a receipt' Blakeney Bridge Wine website  

'Our promise'!

AT has repeated chased up these wines speaking to a Nicola Martin – probably not her real name as telesales staff employed by these sharks prefer for rather obvious reasons to use a 'persona'. 'Nicola Martin' keeps making excuses saying that it could take nine months from the time of paying for the wine for it to arrive in AT's parent's account!

In this situation there is one very obvious solution: cancel the order under the Distance Selling Regulations. Blakeney Bridge Wine Ltd are then obliged by law to provide a full refund.  

(I understand from AT that a letter was sent yesterday -18.2.2014 - to Blakeney Bridge Wine Ltd at their registered office cancelling the order for the Les Forts de Latour and the 1990 Haut-Brion.) 

The Distance Selling Regulations come into force from the time the contract is concluded. Under the present legislation the buyer has the right to cancel goods bought at a distance eg by phone, email etc. for seven working days from the day after the goods are delivery. This period of seven days is extended to three months and seven days if the seller did not properly explain to the buyer at the time of purchase their rights under the law. 

I would be amazed if Blakeney Bridge Wine Ltd explained properly to AT's parent their rights under the law. See here from Trading Standards. So order can be cancelled anytime from now to three months plus seven days after the wine is finally delivered.   

However, Blakeney Bridge Wine Ltd should be well aware of the Distance Selling Regulations. As this is not the first time I have received complaints about Blakeney Bridge Wines pursuing vulnerable elderly people. Back in late 2012 they persuaded an elderly pensioner to cash in their perfectly good investments for Blakeney Bridge's over-priced wines.

The stung pensioner cancelled his order. Initially Blakeney Bridge Wine claimed that because wine was an investment and the price changed frequently it was a 'financial instrument', so exempt from the Distance Selling Regulations. Blakeney Bridge wanted it both ways – to punt an unregulated investment at vulnerable elderly people and then then to claim that it was exempt from the Distance Selling Regulations.

Fortunately Trading Standards were persuaded that this was nonsense and that the over-priced 'investments' from Blakeney Bridge Wine Ltd were subject to the Distance Selling Regulations. The pensioner got a full refund on their wine but unfortunately lost substantially having paid a penalty on cashing in their good investments.          

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Blakeney Bridge Wine Ltd was founded on 10 June 2011. Its current sole director and shareholder is 69-year-old Richard Allan. The company's registered office is Airport House Business Centre, Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey CR0 OXZ. Their trading address is unknown. 

The company's founding director was 23-year-old Phillip Stephen Watkins. He is now a director of London Carbon Neutral Ltd and Lcneutral escrow Ltd. Both companies have their registered office at Airport House. 

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'what is most likely a scam.'

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